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For More Information Contact:
Zahra Aziz, Communications & Marketing Manager, Americans for UNFPA
646-649-9100; zaziz@americansforunfpa.org
Building a Road to Safer Motherhood in Vietnam
Hoa Binh, Vietnam — The road to Hoa Binh City curls around a series of mountains and bamboo forests. At first glance, there is nothing extraordinary about this rural road. Motorbikes, bicycles and pedestrians meander down it; occasionally a car rushes by or a buffalo causes a blockade. But for the people of the Da Bac District of Viet Nam, the road to Hoa Binh City is a lifesaver.
Thanks to the road, women can get to the Provincial Hospital in Hoa Binh City in 30 minutes. Before the road was built, the journey took two to three hours, with part of the distance travelled by ferry. The shortened journey can make the difference between life and death.
“Because of this road, people can get the services they need. This kind of road helps people access health care and gives women and babies the chance to live,” said Yuko Arimori, a two-time Olympic marathon medallist and Japanese Goodwill Ambassador for UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund.
“It gives me great hope to see all these premature babies – the children of women transferred here from the districts – receiving quality care here, at this hospital, that benefits from the development efforts of different agencies,” Ms. Arimori added, speaking at the Hoa Binh Provincial Hospital during a trip to Viet Nam.
The facilities at this, the main hospital in the province, were recently completely upgraded and UNFPA has supported efforts to train and improve the skills of health workers at all levels of the health system in Hoa Binh. UNFPA has also provided essential equipment, including the incubators needed by premature babies to survive the first few days of their lives.
Difficult access to quality health care still results in the death of women who suffer from pregnancy or child birth related complications in geographically hard-to-reach areas of rural Vietnam. With support from UNFPA, however, less women are dying while giving life.
— Laura Vinha and Akiko Takai
No Woman Should Die Giving Life